Jacksonville Beach FL - 365 Things to do Attend a BEACH service

Driving down 3rd Street (the main drag) in Jacksonville Beach, FL you can't help but notice the campus of Beach Church between 7th and 8th Streets North. It's been a beach icon for 75 years!

While sitting in service Sunday the new series pastor, Jerry Sweat, is pitching left me feeling the need to share this powerful message. Not only have they been a long standing member of the Jacksonville Beach, FL Community (Since 1937) but they've always adjusted with the "tides". The offer a traditional service at 8:45 am and two contemporary services at 10:45 am Sundays and 6:45 pm on Thursdays.

The current series (Jan 2013) is called the Relationship Games "may the odds forever be in your favor" this week was part one of a two week message on how to hug a vampire. PJ (Pastor Jerry), after leading us in a self evaluation of the "lists" of people that we have in our lives that we would say "suck" the life out of us and with a closer look (picking up the magnifying glass) it was discovered we also need to be picking up the mirror. Looking at the list of people that are life sucking we can see the parallel checklist that mirrors our own behaviors and therefore in order to hug our vampire we need to look inside ourselves and take responsibility for our actions. Using the Hunger Games marketing technique this series speaks to the community in a number of way, everyone has relationship challenges and the bible is filled with its share of drama. There are teachings that encourage, provide boundaries (next week's topic part 2 Boundaries) and educate us on building lasting relationships with Christ at the center.

One of this week's scriptures:

7 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

This was just a small snippet from this series I encourage you to visit the website and see the whole replay. This church is on the EDGE reaching out the community and being the hands and feet of Jesus. They are supporting the communities from the amazing student ministries (serving over 200 children plus the teens and young adults). If you've not yet attended a service at Beach then here is my invitation to connect. You will feel at home the instant you enter it truly is the most loving and accepting space I've been in Jacksonville Beach, FL.